


The Second Date

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-14
Updated: 2016-05-14
Packaged: 2018-06-08 08:31:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6847243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>God, she felt like Cher in Moonstruck, wanted to throw her arms up in joyous triumph and sing That's Amore at the top of her lungs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Second Date

**Author's Note:**

> John Spencer died today and we lost a magnificent actor and one of the best characters written for television. I also lost a muse. I dont know what the West Wing will do concerning his passing but it is the end of an era and I hope they will handle it with grace and dignity, just as John, and Leo, lived their lives.

She had no idea what to wear and most of the contents of her closet were now on her bed. CJ thought she settled on the charcoal gray slacks but what else would she wear? Opening her top drawer, she began to throw around tops. Maybe it was a good idea to go for the Sharon Stone look…casual chic. The black criss cross tank top was sexy. It actually made it seem as if she had breasts. If she threw on the jacket that matched the slacks, that might be nice. The only way to know was to try it on.

CJ Cregg’s bedroom was a mess. She had to come here to sleep tonight; most likely, she would end up on the couch. Tonight was her second date with Leo. Their first was mostly an accident…pie after a State dinner and the destruction of a tender ship. They didn’t talk much personal talk; it was more about enjoying dessert and shaking off a crazy day. There were other trips back to the diner over the course of three weeks but CJ didn’t feel it was appropriate to call them dates. Half-hour slots of time eating pie and drinking coffee didn’t have a title. But last night Leo came to her office.

" _CJ?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"Leo’s here."_

_"Yeah. What time is it? My watch stopped."_

_"10:32."_

_"Thanks. Send Leo in."_

_The White House Chief of Staff walked into her office. She hardly looked up from her laptop as she fed Gail._

_"What’s new pussycat?" she asked._

_"Have dinner with me on Friday night."_

_Now she looked up._

_"I'm sorry."_

_"Let’s go out on a real date…sort of." He said._

_"See, it is the sort of part that intrigues me."_

_"My hotel suite. I wish I could take you to DC Coast or Obelisk but even if we just went as friends we would have to deal with speculation."_

_"Yeah, no speculation involved in me coming out of your hotel suite in the wee small hours of the morning."_

_"Nope." He smiled. "No speculation at all. Will you come?"_

_"Yes. Make me a promise?"_

_"OK." His response was hesitant._

_"Leo, I'm not going to ask for a kidney."_

_"OK." He smiled. "What is it?"_

_"No pie, please. I think I am officially going on a pie boycott."_

_"Definitely no pie. Dress semi-casual."_

_"Huh?"_

_"You’ll be fine."_

_"OK. See you Friday_."

***

CJ spun around in front of her mirror and smiled. OK, the outfit was fabulous. Now, shoes. Digging around in the closet, she passed the knee-high boots, the Nikes, the ballerina flats. Maybe the grey Pradas with the straps. The heel was not too high. But they always made her feet sweat and that was not what she needed tonight. Ooh, the black Escada pumps. No…too Press Secretary. OK, why were the white Guccis not in the storage bin. Wait, wait, wait. In a box in the back like a naughty stepchild, the black Jimmy Choo stiletto slides. Perfect. No foot sweat, no problem. She would be about 6’2 ½", but she could take them off as soon as she got to his hotel suite.

The door buzzed and CJ rushed out to the living room. She figured it would take a few minutes to get used to her new feet.

"Yes."

"Its Lewis ma'am. The car is waiting whenever you are ready."

"Thank you; I’ll be right down."

Back in the bedroom, CJ checked her hair and outfit once more. She threw on the suit jacket and took her purse off the dresser. A deep breath, a quick sign of the cross, and she was out the door.

***

CJ took the back way up to Leo’s suite, through the kitchen and up the freight elevator. She knocked lightly on the door and tried to take another deep breath. Leo opened it and smiled. He was dressed in blue slacks and a white dress shirt. No tie and no shoes…CJ liked what she saw.

"Come in. You look dazzling."

CJ thanked him as he closed the door and kissed her cheek.

"Hey I hope you don’t mind but I thought we would have an alcohol free evening."

"That’s fine. Now if I say something stupid I can only blame myself." She sat down on the couch and turned off CNN. Aaron Brown was not going to be part of their evening. "What are my beverage choices?"

Leo had Diet Coke, Coke, water, and a concoction he made himself, a combination of orange juice and Ginger ale.

"Sort of like a mimosa-lite." He said going into the kitchen.

"I’ll take one of those. Did you cook for me Leopold?"

Damn, maybe that would have been better. He didn’t even think of that…it took him almost an hour to decide what to wear.

"Oh um…I didn’t think…"

CJ laughed.

"Don’t be silly. I don’t need you to be Julia Child. I like you just the way you are. Whatever you have done is fine."

"I ordered from room service. I remember you said once that you love appetizers."

"I do."

He joined her on the couch and they sipped orange juice.

"It will be here soon. Would you like some music?"

"Yeah. Hey, you seem a bit nervous. This is a side of you I don’t get to see." CJ said.

"No. is Ella Fitzgerald alright?"

"You are nervous, and she’s fine. It’s cute."

"Cute?"

"You're cute."

CJ leaned forward and their lips met briefly. Leo smiled, drawing her face closer for another kiss that was deeper than the last. CJ moved toward him, causing Leo to slide back and his hand to press on the remote. The voice of Ella Fitzgerald filled the room.

_At last  
My love has come along  
My heart is wrapped in clover  
And life is like a song._

"OK, that was a cliché moment." CJ whispered. "I feel like I am in a Rob Reiner film."

"Who?"

"Meathead."

"I know Meathead." He replied. "He makes movies now?"

CJ laughed again.

"Shut up." She kissed him again but they were interrupted by dinner’s arrival.

"I’ll be right back."

***

"I want to know something." CJ said.

"OK, what?"

They sat together on the couch, surrounded by appetizers on pretty plates. Mini crab cakes in honey mustard, grilled chicken poppers, baby shrimp with cocktail sauce, baked potato wedges, and the most delicious spinach dip either had ever eaten.

"Tell me how you came up with Bartlet for America."

"I was coming back from Arizona, standing outside of Dulles. Looking at all the buses and cabs, you know the hustle. Suddenly I saw it everywhere. American flag, the President looking fatherly and intelligent, and the slogan. I shook it off; thought I just missed him and needed to see him. I dealt with it for a whole two months before I went to Concord."

"He didn’t laugh you out of the room?" CJ asked.

"He did, a bit. After dinner and talking myself blue in the face I think I had him convinced. See, in the beginning we didn’t expect anything. We jumped in and thought we could push John Hoynes to be more definitive on some of his ideas and stances. It wasn’t until Iowa that…" Leo stopped.

"What’s the matter?"

"Why the hell are we talking about the Presidential campaign? There are so many other things to discuss."

"Yeah."

Leo reached over for her hand, sliding his fingers through hers.

"Wanna refill on that orange juice?"

"No, water is good. Where is the ladies room?"

"The powder room is down the hall by the door."

CJ nodded and they parted ways. In the bathroom, she splashed water on her face and smiled at herself in the mirror. She was nervous but things were going well so far. Clearing her throat and flushing, she went back into the living room. Leo studied his CDs so CJ stood behind him and did the same. Her arms slid easily around his waist.

"Anything good?" she asked.

"I like a little bit of everything. It depends on my mood, you know?"

His CDs ranged from Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, and Miles Davis to Led Zeppelin, Santana and Billy Joel.

"Whitney Houston Leo?"

"Hey, that was a gift from Mallory. How many ties, jackets, cufflinks and pens can one man own? I try to love every gift she has ever given me. I listened to it once or twice; she can sing a good love song."

"I'm not hard to shop for. One Christmas when I was 16, my stepmother bought me a pair of mint green pajamas with bears on them and daddy made me wear them once a week. We went on a school trip and I said I lost them."

"Are your parents divorced?" Leo asked.

He turned and leaned on the desk. CJ didn’t want to talk anymore; she wanted to kiss.

"My mother died of cancer when I was ten."

"I'm sorry."

"People always apologize for things they shouldn’t. It was a long time ago and it was certainly not your fault. Are you circumcised?"

Leo began to choke on the water he was trying to swallow. CJ’s eyes widened as she slapped his back. He coughed, sputtered, and turned slightly purple before coming out on the other side.

"What the hell was that?"

"What? Oh, the question. It just popped into my head. Honestly, you're what…50? They weren’t doing it regularly in the hospitals then so I just wondered." She plopped back on the couch.

Leo looked at her.

"You're…I have no idea what you are. You certainly make me laugh, and choke. I have a question."

"Shoot."

"Is it alright that all I've been thinking about since you walked through that door is kissing you?"

"Yes. As long as that’s not all you want to do."

"I'm sorry?"

CJ laughed. She was not talking about that; wasn’t it too early for that? She’d known Leo for almost three years but would really like to know his favorite song and what he did for relaxation before she went to bed with him. She liked him, and one thing CJ knew is that jumping into bed usually complicated things. This was complicated enough. Now Leo was back on the couch, his arms snaked around her and pulling her close. She toyed with his shirt collar.

"What's your favorite song?" he asked.

He rolled her earlobe between his lips; CJ moaned. Damn, she couldn’t remember how long it had been since someone made her feel like that. It felt new, not the same thing, different person she was used to. It probably had not felt this good since she and Mike Kerrigan made out in her Dayton basement with candles and Elton John on vinyl.

"I have two."

"Tell me."

" _Help Me_ and _Tiny Dancer_."

"I like it."

They kissed and CJ melted into him. His fingers crept up and down her back until she moaned into his mouth. Leo didn’t know a kiss could be so sensual. Her lips were soft, tasted of the orange creams he remembered from his childhood in Boston. How did she know he loved to have the back of his ears stroked?

"I could become addicted to this." He whispered. "It’s a personality trait you know."

"Is this the part where you expect me to complain?"

"No, this is the part where we dance."

Diana Krall did a decent version of I Put a Spell on You and they swayed in the middle of the living room floor. They fit together so well though she was at least five inches taller than him. He was a terrific dancer and CJ felt as if they were back in the middle of a large ballroom and not in the Watergate Hotel.

"Why do you live in a hotel?"

"My soon to be ex-wife lives at my house. I don’t want to talk right now, I want to listen to your breathe."

She nodded as his hand slid down her back and rested there. Her knees bucked a bit and she squirmed.

"Leo? Leo, move your hand. Please."

"What's the matter?"

"My g-spot. Could you move please before I tear your clothes off?"

With a knowing smile, his hand moved up to the middle of her back. They danced right into When I Fall in Love. CJ loved this song…remembered watching her parents dance to it when she was just a little girl. Her mother had been sick as long as she remembered; she heard her father say once ‘Maureen didn’t die of cancer, she died of cancer treatment.’ Leo pulled away and saw the tears in her eyes.

"Tears?" he asked.

"My mother loved this song. I'm thinking about her. What was your mother like Leo?"

"Wonderful. Strong, and capable. She worked two jobs after my father died and before she met my stepfather. He moved us from Boston to Chicago and the rest is the rest."

He held her close again as the song faded away. CJ kissed his neck.

"This is a lovely evening. What’s next?"

"I'm circumcised." Leo replied.

"Good."

"Good?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Do you want the real answer?" a smile and a blush crept across her face.

"Yeah. The real question was a doozy; I think I can handle the real answer."

"I really don’t like blowing uncircumcised cocks."

"CJ!"

"You asked!"

They laughed like giddy teenagers as they made their way back to the couch. Leo couldn’t stop and the sound of his full laugh kept CJ going. She stole a glance at him, he put his tongue in his cheek, and she fell into giggles again.

"Leo, that’s just wrong." She said when she got herself together.

"I know; I'm sorry. You opened the door on that one. I haven’t laughed like that in forever."

"Stick with me; I'm a chuckle a minute. Tell me what makes you laugh."

"No."

"No?"

"Time will tell you. The art of subtlety and observation are gone completely; people talk too much. I know so many things about you that you have never said."

"Like what?" she asked.

"Red is your favorite color, and it looks fantastic on you. You seem to stand taller when you wear it. You're ticklish too. Sometimes you interpret spinning to be damn close to lying and you hate when you have to do it. You have a rigid set of morals Claudia Jean, but you have these moments when you want to break free and dance on the table. There is one thing I don’t understand about you. While you relish being the tallest, most amazingly beautiful woman in the room, you slouch when you walk and you hide behind people."

"Am I that transparent?" she asked.

"I watch you, you are nowhere near transparent. Go on; tell me what you’ve seen in three years of regular observation. Don’t be apprehensive; damn near nothing offends me."

"Firstly, who’s to say I pay any attention to you at all?" CJ asked.

"Well, there is that. I'm sure that you noticed things working with me."

"There are currently three Leo McGarrys. The first is White House Chief of Staff; firm, efficient and utterly professional. He gets it done and the people too stupid to respect and admire him are smart enough to fear him. The second one, Leopold…I like him. He is the gleam in your hazel eyes. You're not entirely sure what to so with him these days."

"Why?"

"Leopold likes the wine, women, and song. He wants to have fun, break free of the suit and tie, seduce beautiful women whose last names he does not know. You don’t know how let him out in a sober, political environment. The third Leo is about 13. He is frightened and ready to fight his way out. He tries not to show his fear and doesn’t a soul. His fists are poised in the air for a street battle. I've only seen him once or twice, but he is in there."

Leo just looked at her. CJ flinched a bit under the scrutiny.

"My God Leo, don’t look at me that way. You look like you want to slug me."

"God no. I don’t think anyone has ever read me so well. How…damn. Who are you with right now?"

"It doesn’t work that way. But I know that Leopold is trying to have his way with me and Leo is fighting him."

"Yeah, but Leo is losing."

He moved closer, loving the seductive smile on CJ’s face.

"Are we working with the theory that giving him what he wants will make him go away?" she asked.

She relaxed on the cushions as Leo drifted over her.

"Something like that. Is that White Shoulders you're wearing?"

"I didn’t think you noticed."

"Oh I noticed; it’s my favorite scent. Did you know that?"

CJ shook her head. He slipped his tongue between her lips and she opened her mouth. Thus began thirty minutes of necking on the couch. CJ felt like a giant bundle of nerves. Fizzles in every part of her body like a sparkler on July 4th. Leo thought he would pass out from the exhilaration of how she smelled, how she tasted, and how she felt. He was not sure where to touch, or how much, so when his hand slipped inside the tank top and gently kneaded her breast it caused CJ to shudder and Leo pulled away. She smiled at him, opening her eyes.

"Where are you going Leopold?" she purred. "Get back here."

His hand wandered back to where it had been.

"Do you know how long it’s been since I made out?" he asked,

"No, but it was probably the year I was born."

"Ha ha Claudia Jean. Oh God, what year were you born?"

CJ shut him up with another kiss. Leo ran his fingers through her hair as his hands found other interesting places to explore.

***

"I don’t want you to go. I want you stay."

They stood in the dimly lit hallway by Leo’s front door. His arms were around her and he wore the mischievous grin that made him look a decade younger.

"It’s for the best tonight. I have to stick to my rigid moral code for at least another date."

"I respect that."

They both laughed at his tone. CJ kissed his forehead.

"I was born November 19, 1965." She said.

"July 26, 1946. Am I too old?"

"Your age means nothing to me."

"Why?" he asked.

"Because I like you a lot."

"Do you?" he rubbed his nose on hers.

"Mmm hmm."

"Then have dinner with me again tomorrow."

"How do you find time to woo me when you have to save the world?"

"I prioritize and multi-task. I'm making reservations at DC Coast."

"Leo…"

"We will have privacy. And if we don’t, there is no law against friends having dinner."

"No." she shook her head after he kissed her. "Friends?"

"More than friends." He whispered.

"I have to go."

"One night of ecstasy. Going once…going twice…"

"Gone." CJ kissed him. "Goodnight Leo."

"Goodnight Claudia Jean. Call me when you are home safely."

"Yeah."

CJ walked out into the hallway, smiling as she ran her fingers across her swollen lips. There were still tingles all over her neck and chest; she would have to do a thorough examination for hickeys and vampire bites. God, she felt like Cher in _Moonstruck_ , wanted to throw her arms up in joyous triumph and sing _That’s Amore_ at the top of her lungs. Leo McGarry…who would have thought? Sexy, funny, romantic…sexy. 

It took all of her strength and the voice of her father’s lecture on the lives of loose women to get her out of that hotel suite. Going to a restaurant was a better idea. At least there she couldn’t throw off all of her clothes and jump his bones. Though Leo would definitely appreciate a six-foot tall entrée instead of steak or duck. She knew she wanted him instead of cake. OK, sex on the third date was completely acceptable.

***


End file.
